Ingredients

Method

Mix together the butter, thyme, garlic, lemon juice, breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Set aside.

Wash the fresh mussels under cold running water, discarding any that stay open or have cracked or broken shells.

Pull and scrape off the beards – the tough fibres that stick out of the shells. Use a small, sharp knife to carefully remove any barnacles on the shells. Rinse to ensure there aren’t any pieces of shell.

Put in a pan with 100ml water and season with salt and pepper. Cover, heat until simmering, then turn down to a low heat. Leave the mussels to cook in the steam for 4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells open.

Drain the mussels and discard any that haven’t opened – they may have gone off. Pull the top shell off each mussel and discard, then put the mussels, still in the bottom shells, on a baking tray. Sit them close together so they support each other and don’t tip over.

Pre-heat the grill. Put a little of the Parmesan butter mixture on each one and cook under the grill until golden and bubbling.